Shin Splints

[Dshutla]

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[haulndak]

Well the only thing to help it heal in my experience is just to lay off the running for awhile. Switch to a different kind of cardio during your workouts for a week or so (bike, eliptical, etc). Once you get back to running make sure you have a good quality shoe and a proper form.

I see you just got hired by USSS UD. Are you in the march fletc mbpt class?

[LawEnfWB]

I was listening to a program the other day--I can't remember which one--I heard something about having the wrong footwear could cause shin-splints. Having proper foot support is important to help to minimize stress. Though you may have bought an expensive pair of shoes does not mean they are best for you and your feet. Just some food for thought.

Just saw a TV shoe insert infomercial that states that improper foot alignment can cause shin-splints.

[Dshutla]

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[Iceman33]

swimming! Takes your body weight off of your shins, plus allows you to keep your cardio up.

[Gibbmusic]

swimming! Takes your body weight off of your shins, plus allows you to keep your cardio up.

Unless you swim like I do! Water in the lungs = not good cardio.

Gibbmusic

[Troophopeful]

About 2 years ago i had such a huge problem with shin splints (never had an issue prior to going from treadmill to the asphalt) that

at one point i really thought they were going to do me in for good. At first normal day runs (fast pace day) would cost me at

least 3 days minimum recovery time due to the pain which was horrible because i could not train like i wanted to. I tried

everything from flat foot insoles to icing the shins to taking pain killers etc and for a while i thought there was no

getting over them until i discovered 2 things that made them disappear.

You have to not only stretch but you have to focus on 2 key areas to avoid these killers.

1. You have to stretch your calves..........i would walk around a 400 yard track on the tip of my toes......
and then
2. you have to also stretch your shins, (this you can do either when standing or sitting) with the heels of your foot resting on the ground lift up the whole front part of your foot (heels must remains on the ground). Dedicate about 7-10 minutes to these two muscles prior to your run and you will definitely see a huge difference. Also, Taking "Ester C" pills (Calcium ascorbate with Vitamin C) helped alot! After i made these changes i could not for the life of me cause myself to get the shin splint no matter how hard or fast i ran.

[Dshutla]

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[Troophopeful]

The Ester-C 1000mg (broonze color container) can be scooped up at most GNC shops. As I mentioned before, I had a BIG and painful problem with the shin-splits but after my stretching and taking the E.C pills I have not had any further issues with the shins no matter how hard I run.

wow thanks for the advice troop...can u get those ester c pills at gnc or where at?

[Dshutla]

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[nadster011]

ive been getting back into running for an anticipated up coming recruit class. as i started running i had the worst pain in my heels, and shins, mainly my shins. saw a infomercial for whats called walk fit insoles. i ordered them, cost about 50 dollars, and poof pain is gone...they come with 3 sets of inserts, low medium, and high arches...and are washable...made of a type of plastic, and have lifetime warranty...takes 2-3 days to get use to but after the break in period they're great...website i believe is like walkfit.com, and think u can buy them at target now....would be worth it over getting professional insoles ......good luck.

[Troophopeful]

I used to fill a small bag of ice and strap it along the side of my shin at home and at work I would get a medium sized bag of ice and hold it to my shins but in all honesty the ice did lil to no justice to the problem. The stretching and the pills was what finally helped me get rid of the issue. It took me about 2-3 weeks to finally get rid of the problem for good, once I started doing what I mentioned above. I would recommend that you lay off the running for about a full week (you can do other cardio while you rest your lower legs).

1. Take 2 1000mg of the E-C pills during the earlier parts of the day (take them every day until you are no longer feeling pain on your lower legs)
2. Before you start running, warm up then make sure to perform the tip-toe walk for a few minutes (min 5 is what I used to do in the beginning for each exercise).
3. Perform the heel walks as well (you can interchange between these two exercised when you are warming up). Make sure that when you are walking on either your tip-toes or your heels that you get a good stretch (you should feel it on your calves and on the front of your shins). Let us know of your progress.


Troop, I'm having the most aching on the side of my right leg, a little above my ankle...probably 3-4 inches up...i can definitely feel the muscle, because i rub bengay on it once or twice daily. Did you ice it also and everything? I've been laying off the running, icing it daily around 3-4 times. Doing stretches also and walking on tiptoes and heels. How long did it take for you to recover after you started taking the ester c's and stuff? Thanks again!

[intheair]

I always had shin splints the first few weeks of College football training camp. The switch from astro turf to natural grass really bothered them. Every year I found some motrin before exercise and time helped them heal. They will go away after a few weeks. After workouts I would use ice massage to help inflamation. fill dixie cups with water freeze them and then peel away the cup as it melts. The cup allows u to hold the ice while massaging. dont use heat as heat causes inflamation.

[Dshutla]

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[BADGE_OF_STEEL]

Another thing you can try is run you a hot bath with rubbing salt in the water not shure how it works but it always worked for me.

[marc1733]

You can also try using calf-shin supports...I posted a link on the ones that I have. I wear them while running and work great for me...


http://www.feelgoodwellness.com/magnetic-calf-support-sport-p-66.html

[ProWriter]

...I'm having the most aching on the side of my right leg, a little above my ankle...probably 3-4 inches up...i can definitely feel the muscle, because i rub bengay on it once or twice daily...That's your clue that it's not really shin splints, but Anterior Tibialis Compartment Syndrome (ATCS) . Use the search function here for the older shin splint threads and you'll find them both explained and differentiated pretty thoroughly, including different tips for training around both of them.

[Dshutla]

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[Semy]

3 reasons why people get shin splints the most. Bad shoes, didnt stretch before running, out of shape with running.

Dont over run, just work into it gradually. Always stretch before and after. When you go to Fletc you will see they will make you stretch before and after every work out to avoid injuries. Drink lots of water..when I say lots I mean at least 2-3 8 oz a day up to 2-3 12oz. Urine should be clear or almost clear.

Try to avoid running in cold weather, if you do make sure you run with lots of warm gear on your legs. And if your not the best runner but your working into it...here is something helpful. Do squats. Do enough squats to build up your muscles around the knee. Not squats with weights. Just regular squats...go down as far as you can and do about 3 sets of 25. do 1 set of 25 then go for a run, stop halfway do 25 more...finish the run and finish the last set of 25. You will see that often im sure =P

[BuckarooBill]

Actually another reason behind shin splints is incorrect running form. Many people have a lumbering heel to toe running stride which is very stressing on the front portion of the shin. One technique I've discovered is running barefoot. This may sound strange, but think about it... why do the Kenyans and Ethiopians always have such strong Olympic long distance runners? One deduction has been because they are accustomed to running barefoot since money is scarce and so is athletic footwear. Running barefoot allows a more cushioned ball-heel-ball technique of the foot and also keeps the point of impact on the forefoot, directly underneath the center of gravity. This teaches a more efficient running stride and when shoes are required, it can be transferred over for invaluable advantages from decreasing knee and back strain and shin splints to being able to run longer distances with less effort. I guess it's just a suggestion but if you want to read more go to http://www.runningbarefoot.org

Here's an excerpt from that website:
"Over the years, your feet have been protected from exercise by wearing shoes. Obviously, our soles will be over-sensitive at first. But, perhaps less obviously, and more importantly, our entire foot structure has been weakened, even deformed, by the constant wearing of shoes.

Therefore, it is very important to take plenty of time to strengthen, not just our soles, but also the entire foot structure. Focusing on learning HOW to run, instead of trying to build distance, at the beginning also gives our feet time to adjust, to strengthen, to regain a more natural level of sensitivity."

Any questions feel free to email me (bauer419@hotmail.com) and I